


Tomorrow’s gonna come too soon

by smaragdbird



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fitzjames described Stanley as good-looking in this letters so this is practically canon, M/M, Missing Scene, also in the show Fitzjames is the only one who seems to like Stanley, and he's certainly the only one Stanley likes, before he decides to burn everyone that is, this ship had to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 17:31:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17430374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: Written for Day 6: “fire and ice” of the 12 days of CarnivalAfter Fitzjames returns from the flogging on Terror to Erebus, Stanley decides that he needs more than just sleep





	Tomorrow’s gonna come too soon

After giving his orders to Goodsir, Stanley followed Fitzjames and, after checking that no one was watching him, slipped into his cabin without knocking.

Fitzjames was still fully dressed, leaning heavily on his fists on the desk. He startled when he heard Stanley come in. “You scared me.” As he hadn’t known that Stanley would follow him. He had known him long and closely enough to recognise that this was a mood he shouldn’t let Fitzjames alone with.

Fitzjames’ hands were cold as ice when Stanley reached for them and so were his lips when they kissed, Fitzjames almost falling against him.

“You followed my orders very quickly”, Fitzjames said, resting his forehead against Stanley’s shoulder.

“I have my own patient and Goodsir is a capable enough surgeon”, Stanley replied. 

He took the coat from Fitzjames’ shoulders, a task so menial he would have resented it if it had involved anyone else. This was different though; he had felt protective of Fitzjames ever since China and the man taking his almost dying with a surprising amount of humour.

Even now, exhausted and tired as he was, there was a spark of it in his eyes when he asked, “Would you ever say that to him in person?”

“Of course not. No one ever improved by getting praised”, Stanley replied as he unbuttoned Fitzjames’ waistcoat, followed by helping him to pull his jumper over his head. 

Fitzjames shivered a little standing in the cabin in nothing but his shirt. “You’re a bit overdressed, Doc.” The smile just about reached his eyes.

“Didn’t you say, you wanted to sleep?” However, Stanley did not resist when Fitzjames opened his jacket and pushed it over his shoulders. 

“Is that why you came here”, Fitzjames countered, “To sleep?”

“Eventually”, Stanley replied, wrapping an arm around Fitzjames’ waist to pull him close before he kissed him again. He tried his best not to flinch too much when Fitzjames’ ice cold hands slipped under his shirt, and failed.

“Sorry”, Fitzjames murmured against his lips, breaking the kiss for a moment but not withdrawing his hands.

“Take off your clothes.”

Fitzjames smirked up at him. “Giving me orders, Doc?”

“You should be used to them by now.”

The cabin had been designed with one man in mind, not two, but they both were familiar with cramped quarters and managed to avoid catching an elbow or a knee in unfortunate places. 

Fitzjames was a beautiful man and so far he had managed to avoid frostbite, scurvy and any other injury, yet like every time Stanley reached out and touched the scar on his chest. A reminder how mortal Fitzjames was, how fragile and how easily he could lose all this.

“I’m fine”, Fitzjames replied, covering Stanley’s hand with his. “You did a good job.”

Stanley tried to return his smile and knowing that he was failing, pulled Fitzjames into another kiss, enjoying the sensation of their naked bodies pressed together like this. He felt Fitzjames’ cock starting to stir against his thigh and grabbed his arse with both hands, kneading them.

It was him who broke the kiss this time so he could drop a line of kisses along the side of Fitzjames’ neck down to his collarbones before he pushed him onto the bed.

There was a spark in Fitzjames’ eyes when he looked up at Stanley and licked his lips. Though before he could take Stanley’s cock into his hand or mouth, it was Stanley who dropped to his knees in front of him between his spread legs. It was not something he did often and Fitzjames was certainly the only man he’d ever do it for. 

Fitzjames was not a quiet man by nature so when Stanley felt only one of his hands tangling in his hair, he knew that he was using the other one to silence himself.

He pulled off to a noise of protest coming from the back of Fitzjames’ throat. 

“Lie back”, Stanley told him, rising to his feet. He knew where Fitzjames kept the oil but for a moment he did nothing but look at him, the colour returning to his skin, to his hands and lips, eyes lit up with desire and impatience instead of exhaustion and fatigue. This was the Fitzjames he had met in China and following a sudden urge, Stanley leaned down and kissed him.

Fitzjames’ hands pulled at him and as soon as his fingers closed around the vial of oil, Stanley gave in, the bed so small that he was covering Fitzjames’ body with his own. This too was familiar, their quarters on the Cornwallis had been no less cramped despite her being a larger ship than the Erebus.

There was each time that perfect moment when Fitzjames’ legs were wrapped around his waist, when they were as close as humanly possible that Stanley wished to preserve forever. Underneath him Fitzjames was alive, heart beating faster and faster as his chest rose and fell and Stanley could see it in his eyes and feel it in the heady rush that came when everything balanced right on the edge. 

Fitzjames’ breath hitched as his back arched and Stanley pushed into him as he felt the fire in his veins, pure and undiluted, spreading all the way through both of them.

“Stay”, he felt Fitzjames hand wrap around his arm just when he started to get up. 

“Are you sure?” Erebus wasn’t a Portsmouth inn where no one knew them and no one cared. There would be talk if anyone saw him.

“I am the captain. No one will say a word.”

It wasn’t as easy as that and they both knew it. Still, Stanley relaxed into the mattress and tried not to think of all the reasons this was a mistake. Instead he thought about the renewed energy in Fitzjames’ dark eyes, holding the same fire and light they used to have and maybe for tonight that was enough of a reason to stay.


End file.
